Sheffield community groups battle volunteer’s deportation

Rachel Parry

A Buddhist monk who has made Sheffield his home after seeking refuge from persecution in his native country of Bangladesh is facing immediate deportation.

Sushilanada Sraman, aged 44, known as Sushil, arrived in the UK in 2005 and has been staying in Gleadless Valley, Sheffield, since 2011.

He fled his home country after being accused of murder, fearing he would not get a fair trial.

Campaigners claim Sushil had the murder pinned on him by fundamentalists and he is innocent.

Sushil was convicted and sentenced in absentia of the crime.

Now following problems with his claim for asylum in the UK, he has been detained at Morton Hall Immigration Detention Centre in Lincoln and is booked on a flight back to Bangladesh in less than 48 hours.

If retuned he will be imprisoned for the murder and campaigners claim his life will be in danger.

During his time in Sheffield, Sushil volunteered at the City of Sanctuary Sheffield’s multi-agency drop-in at Victoria Hall to raise awareness in schools and communities about the dangers of extremism.

Community groups in Sheffield and Yorkshire are now staging a fight against time to keep Sushil in the UK.

Ian Nesbitt, who volunteers with Sushil, said: “Sushil is a key member of Sheffield’s community and it is totally wrong he is facing deportation from the place he now calls home to a country where his life could be in danger.

“We call on the Home Secretary Theresa May MP to stop this deportation and look very closely at Sushil’s case and note the contribution he makes to life in his home, Sheffield.”

The campaign to save Sushil has been collecting signatures to petition Theresa May MP. To sign the petition, search for Save Sushilanada Sraman on Facebook.